Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) Blog

Briana Bettin Receives Distinguished Teaching Award

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Briana Bettin

Briana Bettin, Computer Science and Cognitive and Learning Sciences, has been selected for the 2021 Michigan Tech Distinguished Teaching Award in the Assistant Professor/Lecturer/Professor of Practice category. Bettin will receive a monetary award and she’ll be recognized by President Richard Koubek at an event next fall.

Also this academic year, Bettin was inducted into the Michigan Technological University Academy of Teaching Excellence, which recognizes those who have demonstrated continued dedication to and support of the University’s teaching mission. She also received a Dean’s Teaching Showcase Award, having been selected for the Teaching Showcase in January 2022.

“We couldn’t be prouder of Briana and her accomplishments. In her short time here, she has quickly become one of the very best educators that we have at Michigan Tech,” says Dennis Livesay, Dave House Dean of Computing.

“Briana brings a unique perspective to her teaching,” says Linda Ott, chair of the Department of Computer Science. “With her background in user experience, she thinks a lot about her students and how they might be able to understand the new concepts that she is teaching. She is constantly questioning how new concepts might relate to knowledge already in the students’ mental networks and she has delved into education and psychology in order to better understand how learning occurs.”

“Briana is also very concerned about reaching all of her students,” Ott adds. “She really understands that not all of our students are just ‘like us,’ and she regularly participates in programs that focus on addressing issues of systemic racism and bias.”

Bettin completed her PhD at Michigan Tech in August 2020. In Fall 2020 she was hired as an assistant professor for the Department of Computer Science. Her research interests include user experience, human factors, human-computer Interactions, and mental models. She is a member of the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems’s (ICC) Centers for Computing Education (CompEd) and Human-Centered Computing (HCC).Her research interests include user experience, human factors, human-computer Interactions, and mental models. She is a member of the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems’s (ICC) Centers for Computing Education (CompEd) and Human-Centered Computing (HCC).

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